Ossi Oswalda plays a young woman of means, who dislikes being treated like a woman. To remedy her situation, she decides to become a man. Holy shit, right?! Cross dressing in 1918. Cabaret was not legal in Germany until the fall of the Prussian Empire (although this has as much to do with political censorship.)
Of course Ossi will find out being a man is not so easy. In exchange for money, power, respect, and dignity, men have to give up their seats to ladies on the train. I mean what's the point of having a dick if you have get up to women. I do not get up to women. Alright, the bad pun is over.
Ok, so yes, this movie is problematic as a queer/feminist film. On one hand it is daring when you consider that movie was filmed in the twilight of the Victorian era. On the other hand, it reaffirms gender conventions. I don't want to give anything away in this post, so I will come back to this film with a more detailed vivisection.
Please watch this film if you haven't yet. It is fucking brilliant. Ossi is perhaps the most charming woman of her era.
Liam '15
